Seventh-grade and eighth-grade students will be welcoming Denny Holt, a NASA scientist, to class on April 30. He will talk about his experiences as a former Space Shuttle flight manager and mission director for the Hubble Space Telescope repair. Mr. Holt now works as a consultant for NASA. This name might sound familiar to students, because Mr. Holt  is the father of Adam Holt, seventh grade composition teacher.

“Honestly, I feel a little bit nervous, just because it is my dad coming to talk to the Middle School,” Mr. Holt said. “He has 40 years of knowledge. I am interested to see what he chooses to share.”

Pamela Giraudon, seventh-grade Spanish and French teacher and founder of Visions of the Future, began planning for Mr. Holt’s visit to Middle School in the spring of 2009.

“We identify what topics we want, and then we brainstorm who we have contacts with,” Mrs. Giraudon said. “It comes from people we know, like parents. We also have activities in advisory in Middle School so that we can have some background information to understand before the speaker comes.”

During his visit, Mr. Holt will convey his knowledge of space to the students at Greenhill.

“The world is changing at a fast rate so it is hard to imagine what new jobs will exist when you finish college,” Mr. Holt said. “Get a good education, never stop learning and remain curious. Never underestimate what you are capable of.”

This year Mathcounts students got the chance to compete at the Texas State Competition for Mathcounts in Austin, Texas on Mar. 26.

“The State Competition is truly wonderful,” said Grant Mindle, seventh-grade math teacher and coach of the Mathcounts students. “It is incredibly well organized and executed. Some years there has even been entertainment, lectures, or competitive activities for the teams.  The students who have gone have always loved it.”